The Interior: Dry-scrub crud from grates, burners, and inside surfaces with a nonscratch sponge or a nylon brush. You can even use an emery cloth or a wire brush on uncoated steel or iron. Then wash surfaces with dish soap and water, rinse well, and dry thoroughly. Martin suggests reseasoning cast-iron or metal grates with oil as you would a similar pan, but there's no need to coat chromed-steel or ceramic grates. Consider replacing these grates if they're rusty or chipping.

3×

Deep-Clean Your Cooker's Exterior

Deep-Clean Your Cooker's Exterior

Sponge off both stainless-steel and enameled surfaces with warm soapy water and wipe dry. (To prevent streaking on stainless steel, go in the direction of the finish.) Use a high-heat spray paint to touch up surfaces that don't come into contact with food.

Don't Just "Burn It Off"

Don't Just "Burn It Off"

For cleaning after cooking, you shouldn't turn up the gas, close the top, and walk away. Instead, run the burners on high for only 5 minutes—set a timer—before turning them off.

Then scrub the grates with a grill brush or a ball of foil pinched between tongs. If you don't feel like cleaning right away, try this next-day trick: Fill a spray bottle with equal parts vinegar and water, coat the interior of the grill, close it, and let it sit for an hour. This softens residue for your brush without the need for heat.

5×

Prep the Propane

Prep the Propane

Do a gas check—it's essential for safe, efficient cooking, especially if a grill's been idle.

Inspect the tank. Run a leak test. Coat the regulator, valves, and hoses with soapy water, then turn on the tank to pressurize the system. Look for bubbles, which indicate escaping gas. Tighten connections and try again; if there's still a leak, replace the hoses or the tank, if need be. Next, if your grill lacks spider guards, use a bottle brush to clear out debris or insect nests from the venturi tubes, which connect gas to burners. Finally, fire up the burners without the grates in place and look for spots that aren't flaming evenly. Once cool, clear any blockages in the burners with a paper clip.

6×

Check Propane Tank Gas Levels

Check Propane Tank Gas Levels

For grills without a built-in gauge, get a scale, like the Grill Gauge (about $11; Ace Hardware), or use a bathroom scale. Tanks list their tare weight (TW), or weight when empty. Weigh the tank and subtract the TW to gauge the gas inside. A pound of propane produces 21,600 Btu per hour; divide this by your grill's max Btu output to see how many hours of cooking on high you'll have left per pound of gas. It's smart to keep an extra full tank on hand; store it upright and outdoors in the shade.

7×

Find and Fix Your Grill's Hot Spots

Find and Fix Your Grill's Hot Spots

Even heat is the holy grail of grilling, but it's often not what your burners deliver. To identify the heat pattern, cover grates with slices of white bread and run burners on high for a few minutes. Cut the flame and flip the slices to see which toasted most, indicating where the hot spots are. To even out the heat, add grates of hard-anodized aluminum, an excellent conductor, like GrillGrate (about $40 and up). Or place indirect-heat food on cooler areas and direct-heat food on the warm ones.

Learn Your Burger Basics

Learn Your Burger Basics

Think thin. The best burgers are three-quarters to an inch thick. Too plump and they tend to char on the outside and undercook on the inside.

Make an impression. Use the back of a spoon to make a shallow, inch-wide dent in each patty (unless it's stuffed). That'll help them cook flat so they don't look like oversize meatballs.

Pat your patties. Dab each burger with a paper towel and sprinkle with salt. Both will wick moisture from the surface, allowing for better browning.

Start hot. A temperature of 450 degrees is just right for cooking burgers. Place patties over direct heat.

Go easy on 'em. Stabbing burgers with a fork when turning them drains their precious juices. Instead, use a spatula and flip when you see moisture rising to the surface.

Know when to stop. Grilling times vary, so getting a temperature reading is key. Medium-rare burgers are ready at 130 degrees, medium at 140 degrees. For safety, Martin recommends the USDA guideline of 160 degrees—well-done.

Instructions1. Melt butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions, sugar, and salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool to room temperature.2. Preheat grill to high heat. In a bowl, gently mix burger ingredients, minus cheese, and shape into four patties. 3. Trim rind off Brie, and scoop out enough burger meat to bury a ¼inch-thick piece of cheese. Cover it with at least ⅓ inch of meat.4. Grill patties over direct high heat with lid closed, turning once, until desired doneness. During final minute or so of cooking, toast rolls over direct heat.5. Top burgers with onions and whole-grain mustard.

The Interior: Dry-scrub crud from grates, burners, and inside surfaces with a nonscratch sponge or a nylon brush. You can even use an emery cloth or a wire brush on uncoated steel or iron. Then wash surfaces with dish soap and water, rinse well, and dry thoroughly. Martin suggests reseasoning cast-iron or metal grates with oil as you would a similar pan, but there's no need to coat chromed-steel or ceramic grates. Consider replacing these grates if they're rusty or chipping.

Deep-Clean Your Cooker's Exterior

Sponge off both stainless-steel and enameled surfaces with warm soapy water and wipe dry. (To prevent streaking on stainless steel, go in the direction of the finish.) Use a high-heat spray paint to touch up surfaces that don't come into contact with food.

Don't Just "Burn It Off"

For cleaning after cooking, you shouldn't turn up the gas, close the top, and walk away. Instead, run the burners on high for only 5 minutes—set a timer—before turning them off.

Then scrub the grates with a grill brush or a ball of foil pinched between tongs. If you don't feel like cleaning right away, try this next-day trick: Fill a spray bottle with equal parts vinegar and water, coat the interior of the grill, close it, and let it sit for an hour. This softens residue for your brush without the need for heat.

Prep the Propane

Do a gas check—it's essential for safe, efficient cooking, especially if a grill's been idle.

Inspect the tank. Run a leak test. Coat the regulator, valves, and hoses with soapy water, then turn on the tank to pressurize the system. Look for bubbles, which indicate escaping gas. Tighten connections and try again; if there's still a leak, replace the hoses or the tank, if need be. Next, if your grill lacks spider guards, use a bottle brush to clear out debris or insect nests from the venturi tubes, which connect gas to burners. Finally, fire up the burners without the grates in place and look for spots that aren't flaming evenly. Once cool, clear any blockages in the burners with a paper clip.

Check Propane Tank Gas Levels

For grills without a built-in gauge, get a scale, like the Grill Gauge (about $11; Ace Hardware), or use a bathroom scale. Tanks list their tare weight (TW), or weight when empty. Weigh the tank and subtract the TW to gauge the gas inside. A pound of propane produces 21,600 Btu per hour; divide this by your grill's max Btu output to see how many hours of cooking on high you'll have left per pound of gas. It's smart to keep an extra full tank on hand; store it upright and outdoors in the shade.

Find and Fix Your Grill's Hot Spots

Even heat is the holy grail of grilling, but it's often not what your burners deliver. To identify the heat pattern, cover grates with slices of white bread and run burners on high for a few minutes. Cut the flame and flip the slices to see which toasted most, indicating where the hot spots are. To even out the heat, add grates of hard-anodized aluminum, an excellent conductor, like GrillGrate (about $40 and up). Or place indirect-heat food on cooler areas and direct-heat food on the warm ones.

Learn Your Burger Basics

Think thin. The best burgers are three-quarters to an inch thick. Too plump and they tend to char on the outside and undercook on the inside.

Make an impression. Use the back of a spoon to make a shallow, inch-wide dent in each patty (unless it's stuffed). That'll help them cook flat so they don't look like oversize meatballs.

Pat your patties. Dab each burger with a paper towel and sprinkle with salt. Both will wick moisture from the surface, allowing for better browning.

Start hot. A temperature of 450 degrees is just right for cooking burgers. Place patties over direct heat.

Go easy on 'em. Stabbing burgers with a fork when turning them drains their precious juices. Instead, use a spatula and flip when you see moisture rising to the surface.

Know when to stop. Grilling times vary, so getting a temperature reading is key. Medium-rare burgers are ready at 130 degrees, medium at 140 degrees. For safety, Martin recommends the USDA guideline of 160 degrees—well-done.

Instructions1. Melt butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions, sugar, and salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool to room temperature.2. Preheat grill to high heat. In a bowl, gently mix burger ingredients, minus cheese, and shape into four patties. 3. Trim rind off Brie, and scoop out enough burger meat to bury a ¼inch-thick piece of cheese. Cover it with at least ⅓ inch of meat.4. Grill patties over direct high heat with lid closed, turning once, until desired doneness. During final minute or so of cooking, toast rolls over direct heat.5. Top burgers with onions and whole-grain mustard.